Just when India is warming up to the importance of preserving the concept of weather, Greenpeace India launches a facebook application named ‘Jungle Hero’ to add catalyst to their latest campaign ‘Junglistan’. The campaign that was launched in July 2012 with the call for saving forests already claims to have 9 lac people signing a petition against coal mining in forest areas. Greenpeace volunteers aim to gather even more momentum to the running campaign through this facebook application.
The application is claimed to be first of its kind in India where it pulls the user’s photo from his facebook profile and integrates it into a video. The story of the video runs a narrative where the user stands out to be a hero involved in saving the jungle. Though the concept is innovative, Greenpeace members will hope that it doesn’t shadow the overall message of the exercise. As Greenpeace activist Brikesh Singh puts it, “We hope the larger message stays with the audience that our forests need heroes now more than ever.”
Greenpeace press release on the occasion of the launch reveals a startling fact – “Coal mining in just 13 coalfields in Central India threatens over 1.1 million hectares of forest- that’s almost twice the area of India's top five metros combined. There are over 40 coalfields in Central India and more coal blocks are being lined up for auction, so the area of forest that stands to be destroyed is phenomenal.”
Indian metros are constantly turning into concrete jungle. 2012 has seen a setback in winter temperatures so far in most regions of the country. Rainfalls have depleted and the future forecasts threaten a draught like condition across India. The depleting forests will add up to the worsening condition of climate in the country. Under this backdrop Greenpeace’s campaign holds high importance in involving common man to a crucial issue. It is to be seen now whether the Prime Minister Office that has so far refused to entertain the plea of the international NGO to discard the plan of mining in the forest areas wake up to the call of the public and take notice of the issue.
